A bit about Wine Bars (Likely to be followed later this summer by A lot about Wine Bars)

Similar to mid-day margaritas or vineyard tastings, finding a new wonderful new wine bar can be a most pleasing and fulfilling experience. And there are few better things than experiencing the find on a damp, rainy, windy New York City Friday night (especially when it has rained at least the past three Fridays in a row…)
I decided that wine bars were a new interest (my Facebook page says so – it must be true) even before Eric Asimov’s Dining In feature in The Times last month, thank you, and as such, they must become important parts of my blog adventures for the months ahead. It is also true that many of these said wine bars are downtown – in SoHo and the East Village, where my favorite did previously reside. Possibly until now.

It is possible that I have a new favorite, and (gasp) it is on the Upper East Side. Felice, which is still fairly new, offers more than 100 Italian wines and “classic Italian dishes from Sant Ambroeus chef, Simone Parisotto” (thank you, nymag.com). It is cute, cozy, comfortable and my two friends and I (yes, I was the third wheel) spent almost four hours there on Friday evening, even after I was 15 minutes late! By the time we has eaten artichoke hearts, ricotta, drank two bottles of burgundy, laughed ‘til our stomachs hurt, and were ready to again face the weather, our candle had sufficiently burned down, that kind of burn with the dripped wax layered on all sides, evoking the feel of being in an Italian restaurant movie setting, the ones with a red and white checkered table cloth and just one plate of spaghetti and meatballs for two. Good thing my friend had protected the flame from the gust of wind each time the door opened ensuring our candle would reach Lady and The Tramp status. So much ambiance I can barely stand it.



Here are my prerequisites for the perfect wine bar.
Also, in an effort to generate comments on our blog (Sad that this is a mission I have taken on with great fervor? Heck, you can comment on that, too if you want!), I’d love to know what your prereqs are.

1. Wine bottles visible anywhere you look throughout the space. It adds that ambiance, and helps to remind me that (thank god) I am not somewhere like…Dorian’s.
2. Candles on every table – I want the romantic vibe…even when I am the third wheel.
3. Small plates. Preferably with cheese. And bread. And more cheese.
4. A menu that teaches me something. For example: Fatta in casa means “made in house.” I like it. Fatta. I also learned just now that Felice is actually pronounced fay-LEE-chay (thanks again, nymag.com).
5. The wine never stops flowing.

I will only experience wine bars, and now fay-LEE-chay, with people I truly enjoy. As is current par for the course, I won’t reveal the names of my wine bar compatriots, but I am sending them an email asking them if they’d be interested in making it our new neighborhood staple (not that I had an old one, except for Suze and my spot, delicious coffee shop Beanocchios). 64th and 1st is nicely smack dab in the middle of our apartments. It was only our first date, for my new couple friends and I, (and us with Felice wine bar), but that is how much fun we had…and how much wine we drank. Even in the rain, a good wine bar cures all.


To come – Suze and Sil get back on the tram, take on a fighting salad green, bash heads with something called BAM, babysit for two kids, then three kids, learn to Wii and almost kidnap a new puppy.